SALT LAKE CITY — It's back to school this week after summer vacation for many Utah kids. There are a myriad of things to think about. School supplies. Carpools. Bus schedules. Air conditioning?
As many Utah kids return to school this week with near 100-degree forecasts, some students will be finding creative ways to stay cool.
"I've been building mini-fans and bending the paper to stay cool," said Jessica McGhie, a ninth-grader at Albion Middle School. "But you're roasting. You feel like the marshmallow in the fire."
The students and staff at Albion Middle School moved from their building in Sandy while it undergoes renovations to install air conditioning and other updrades. Unlike their old building, their temporary digs at the former Cottonwood Heights Elementary School building has plenty of windows.
"We have much more windows here, so we can let cool air in," explained Andrew Smith, an Albion ninth-grader. "Classrooms are bigger so we're not as cramped."
Albion is one of three schools in the Canyons School District that will soon have air conditioning. Nine other schools will still be without it.
While the temporary setup has windows, it doesn't have air conditioning. Albion students say they notice a difference, but it's still warmer than they'd like.
"It's hard to concentrate when you're trying to keep yourself cool and comfortable," Smith said. "Inside just traps the heat so it's definitely hotter."
That's why Albion Principal Joanne Ackerman brought cooling units that used to cool heavy equipment at the old building, hoping to better circulate the breeze flowing through open doors and windows.
"We had four or five pretty large air conditioning units that were in our server room and our computer labs over there," Ackerman said. "We brought them over here to Cottonwood Heights and put them in our library, in our server room and our registrar's office, which is where the kids' sick room is."
Ackerman said the school is doing what it can to help keep the environment cool and conducive for learning. But she also said parents and students can do other things to stay cool.
"We tell the students and we tell the parents (to) have them wear light-colored clothing (and) loose-fitting clothing," Ackerman said.
She also recommended students eat healthier foods like fruits and vegetables and stay away from carbonated beverages. Ackerman said the school didn't bother to bring its soda machines to their temporary location.
"Freeze water bottles the night before," she said. "Bring them with you, and feel free throughout the day to drink water and stay hydrated."
Students in other districts such as Granite will face the same challenges trying to beat the heat these remaining days of summer. The district has 34 of 90 schools without air conditioning, according to a district spokesman.